This invention relates to a surface covering; specifically incorporating a glass tile with a three dimensional decoration impressed on a rear face and a decorative glass layer and protective layer fused to and following the topography of a rear face while maintaining a smooth, transparent front face.
Tiles have been made since ancient times. Most tiles are of a ceramic or stone base and are opaque. Some tiles have been decorated on the front face with two-dimensional designs or plain colors. Some tiles have been glazed on the front face to give a durable, easy to clean, hygienic surface. There are many tiles that incorporate a two-dimensional design and a durable glaze on the front face that are in use today.
Some tiles have a three dimensional relief design cut into the front face. Even if this design is glazed, it is harder to clean a three dimensional design than a smooth surface. Where ease in cleaning is critical, a tile with a three dimensional design on the front face will be avoided.
Tiles have been made of glass with either a smooth front face or a three dimensional relief design cut in the front face. This type of tile has been made out of opaque glass or an opacifier has been used to obscure the adhesive on the rear face. Tiles have been made with a three-dimensional design cut in the rear face but without a multicolored decorative glass layer fused to the tile body or a protective glass layer fused to the rear face of the decorative glass layer and/or the rear face of the glass tile body. The high temperature fusing of the glass layers to the glass body creates a tile that is homogenous glass through the tile thickness. The high temperature fusing process makes the layers of glass become physically and chemically one continuous piece of glass that forms the tile. Without the addition of the fused glass layers, as in my new tile, the existing tile is limited in many ways such as decorative designs and possible installation techniques.
Tiles have been made of mirrored sheet glass that is smooth on both front and rear faces with silvering and/or a two dimensional design as well as a protective coating applied to the rear face. Mirror tiles have not been made to match in thickness, in shape or in durability, other types of tiles. These differences limit the use of mirror tiles with other types of tile as they are harder to match with other tiles and are installed with different techniques. The mirror coating and protective coating on the backs of these mirror tiles are not made of glass fused to the decorative layer or to the sheet glass body of the mirror and so not homogenous glass. A special adhesive needs to be used to install the mirror tiles because of the fragile nature of the protective coating. Of course the largest limitation, compared to my new tile, is that there is not a three dimensional component to the design.
There is a traditional technique of painting on the back of sheet glass and viewing from the front. This is not used as a surface covering in the way a tile is used. As the sheet glass painted on the back viewed from the front could be used as a surface covering I am including it here. Its limitations are similar to the mirror glass tilesxe2x80x94they are not made to be able to be mixed with other tiles because of thickness, shape and because the colored decoration is simply painted and not glass fused to the back and there is no protective overlay fused to the back there will be installation limitations. Again the largest difference is the lack of a three dimensional design capability.
By combining the different aspects of prior art listed above I have developed an object that I have never seen before and that I could not find in my research of prior art. By combining the aspects of a. a raised three-dimensional pattern b. impressed on the rear face of a c. transparent glass tile body and a d. decorative glass materials layer and an e. overlay of glass material fused to the decorative layer and/or fused to the glass tile body f. which creates an homogenous glass through the tile thickness to support this new tile using g. existing standard tile masonry installation techniques without the possibility of delamination; this new tile is capable of new uses that would be impossible for related prior art.
Prior tile art is unable to carry a three dimensional design while maintaining a smooth, easy to clean front face while protecting intricate decorative material. Yet this new tile is of predetermined dimensions and the layers fused, melding and eliminating the discrete layers, making the tile physically unable to delaminate so that it is able to be installed in conjunction with prior tile art especially as this new tile will be installed with the same techniques as prior tile art.
Although particular aspects listed above may be incorporated in prior art, it is the combination of all of these aspects in the way I have described that allows for the distinct advantages of this new tile over prior art.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are to produce an easy to clean, very durable, smooth surface on a tile that incorporates a three dimensional design. A three dimensional design impressed in and applied to the rear face but viewed from the smooth front face of this tile is what so removes this startling visual effect from what has been available in prior art. By impressing a three dimensional design and applying layers or, partial layers, of colored powdered glass decoration fused on the rear face; much finer detail can be employed without the fear of these details being abraded or worn away through cleanings or general use. The thick layer of glass that makes up the body of this article protects the fine details. The smooth front face of the transparent glass body of this article makes the fine details visible.
Other aspects and advantages are the general shape, thickness and durability of this new type of tile along with the homogenous character of the fused, fired, finished tile where delamination is physically impossible, which will allow this tile to be installed with standard ceramic and stone tile installation techniques. This compatibility with existing tile types broadens the application options of my new tile.
A method for covering a surface with modules of a modular surface covering so that a resulting exterior surface appears to have a raised three dimensional pattern but the resulting exterior surface is actually smooth includes the steps of: a. affixing a module of the modular surface covering to a surface to be covered; b. wherein said module of said modular surface covering is affixed in close proximity to other modules used to cover said surface to be covered; c. wherein said module of said modular surface covering is of a thickness, shape and durability to be compatible with ceramic tile modular surface covering; d. wherein said modular surface covering approximates the topography of a surface to be covered wherein said module of said modular surface covering consists of: a translucent glass body that is smooth on a front face with a raised three dimensional pattern on a rear face; and a decorative layer consisting of at least one glass material fused to the raised three dimensional pattern and the rear face of the translucent glass body, that is viewed through the front face of the translucent glass body and; an overlay, fused to and sandwiching the decorative layer between the overlay and the translucent glass body and consisting of at lest one glass material, that comprises a rear surface of the modular surface covering which follows a topography of the rear face and the decorative layer wherein the overlay protects the modular surface covering and is an interface of the rear surface and a means of affixing the modules of the modular surface covering to a surface to be covered, wherein each module of the modular surface covering becomes one homogenous layer of glass, providing a smooth surface covering with a visible raised three dimensional pattern.
Still other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.